A Ukrainian delegation traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday for a third round of negotiations with Russian officials, aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict between the two nations. The talks, which are brokered by the United States, proceed as both countries report significant military operations along the front lines and inside each other’s territories.
Ukraine’s Chief of Staff, Kyrylo Budanov, who is leading the delegation, confirmed their departure on Feb. 16 in a post on the social media platform Telegram. “On the way to Geneva. The next round of negotiations is ahead,” Budanov wrote.
This meeting follows two previous rounds of U.S.-brokered talks held in the United Arab Emirates in January and early February. Those sessions marked the first direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv based on a U.S.-proposed plan. Both Russian and Ukrainian representatives described the earlier talks as constructive, though no formal agreements were announced.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his outlook on the Geneva meeting, stating he hoped the talks “will be serious, substantive.” He also commented on the negotiation process, saying, “The Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia.”
Central to the negotiations are the terms for a potential settlement. According to reports, Russia’s stated conditions include the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas region and international recognition of territories it has annexed. Ukraine has publicly stated its position is to freeze the conflict along existing front lines, has rejected a unilateral force withdrawal, and is seeking security guarantees.
In the days leading up to the talks, both sides reported heightened military activities. Ukrainian officials stated they conducted a large-scale drone attack targeting energy infrastructure in western Russia on Sunday. In response, the governor of Russia’s Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, said on Monday that Russian forces destroyed more than 220 drones in strikes that he reported lasted over 12 hours and resulted in temporary heating outages for some residents.
Separately, Russia’s army chief, General Valery Gerasimov, announced Sunday that his forces had taken control of 12 settlements in eastern Ukraine in February, an area equivalent to approximately 200 square kilometers (77 square miles). “The task of the military operation continues to be carried out. The offensive is under way in all directions,” Gerasimov said in a statement.
